Piazzanet.it

The Norman Palio is a unique spectacle in southern Italy, a festival recreating historical events of a thousand years ago. The Palio is history, because the characters represented are people who really existed, and at the same time legend, since there is no direct evidence that Piazza Armerina was the scene of the events that are recreated.

Count Roger, the youngest son of the Norman King Tancredi, arrived in Italy in the first few years of the millennium in support of his brother Robert, called the Guiscardo, who was engaged in the conquest of Calabria and Sicily, then ruled by the Byzantines and the Saracens.

This conquest was supported by the Church of Rome; indeed Pope Nicholas II, during the Council of Melfi, agreed to grant the Island to the Normans if they succeeded in conquering it and liberating it from Saracen rule.

When the conquest was complete the Pope offered Roger a standard portraying Our Lady with Child; Roger donated the standard to the town of Piazza Armerina as a sign of devotion and thanks to the townspeople, so that it could be venerated on the main altar of the Cathedral. This is the inspiration for the Palio.

In the years following the Second World War ideas were put forward for creating events that would make Piazza a tourist attraction.

Two illustrious citizens of the town, Angelo Urzì and Vito Romano, with the help of willing volunteers, decided to realise a long-standing dream of theirs: to create an event, unique in its kind, symbolically evoking the liberation of Sicily, and in particular of Piazza, from the Saracens by the

troops of Count Roger of Altavilia. Their dream was fulfilled. The first festival was held in 1952 and was such a great success that it was decided to repeat it in following years. It still takes place today, every year from 12th to 14th August.

The delivery of the keys

The Saracen Joust

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